


from now on our troubles will be miles away

by dayishujia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Firebender Keith (Voltron), Happy Ending, M/M, Moving In Together, Post-War, Sheith Secret Santa 2017, Slice of Life, Waterbender Shiro, sheithsecretsanta2017, waxing poetic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 20:39:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13151613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dayishujia/pseuds/dayishujia
Summary: Following the Avatar's successful conclusion to the War, Keith and Shiro move on with their lives.





	from now on our troubles will be miles away

**Author's Note:**

> my somewhat belated secret santa gift for [ @krantzm7](krantzm7.tumblr.com)! merry christmas love, i hope its something like what you envisioned (^ ^)

 

It almost didn’t feel real and yet, there they were.

They stood on the far side of a cobblestone road, barely wide enough for one rickshaw to pass another. Under their feet, loose stones threatened to trip up pedestrians and others were missing entirely.

Around them, the city was slowly starting to recover from the War.

And in front of them was a tall, grey-stone wall and a red tin door in desperate need of a new coat of paint. It had survived the long, drawn out war, along with many of the other little homes in the Earth Kingdom city, with only a few mishaps.

On the other side of the wall was a small house, the roof of which was the only thing visible to them from the road.

As they stood there, staring at their new home as if time had somehow stopped, people were starting to fill the streets. The city was waking for the day, ready to start picking up their beloved city from its bootstraps.

Shiro held out the keyring the landlord had given them only hours before. There were two metal keys on it, one for each of them to keep.

He grinned at his lover, “Shall we?”

Keith sucked in a breath, holding it in his chest as he stared at the gate. He knew it would’ve been impossible for the door, the wall, the house beyond to disappear out from under his nose if he chanced looking away, but it felt in his heart like it might.

His whole life he had been barely able to hold onto the things that were most important, and a whole lot slipped through his fingers when he hadn't been careful.

This felt almost anticlimactic.

It felt _undeserved_.

Shiro didn’t wait for Keith’s response; he took his hand and lead him across the road to the red door. Keith stumbled along with him, not bothering to offer any resistance as he continued to study the gate -- the gate of his new home, the gate of the home he would share with his love.

Shiro fumbled with the keys but managed to quickly get the door unlocked despite it. He pushed it open and it unleashed an awful sound as its turned. Vaguely, Keith heard him say something about getting oil for the hinges as they walked inside but it didn’t really register.

Inside the courtyard, the grey-stone house stood proudly. Weeds and wildgrass grew along the inside of the yard, up the sides of the gate walls and the walls of the house itself.

Some of the weeds had bloomed little yellow flowers.

Keith followed Shiro up the steps and into the house.

It was in need of a good cleaning, some love and care as Shiro had phrased it. But the floorboards were authentic darkwood, the walls were tall and sturdy, and the windows were large.

“What are you thinking about?” Shiro asked softly. He wrapped his arm around Keith’s belly, resting his chin on his shoulder and kissing a spot of bare skin over Keith’s collar.

Keith’s hands curled over Shiro’s wrist and forearm as he hummed.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Shiro murmured into his hair. “This is _ours_.”

Keith hummed again.

Shiro nuzzled along Keith’s jawline. “Have you thought about how you want to decorate yet?”

Keith glanced around again. In the corner was a wood-burning fireplace for the cold seasons. There were scuff marks from the previous owner’s furniture that Shiro promised would rub right off with just a little elbow grease. There was so much potential, so much so that it was almost overwhelming.

“Not yet.”

He almost wished for the days they spent camping in the woods, running from their pursuers, with only the things they could carry. Those times almost seemed easier, when all they were worried about was ensuring the Avatar’s survival and her mastery of all the elements.

Fighting to survive was something he was used to, something he was good at.

_This_ , however, was something entirely new.

 

That night, they slept on mats on the floor of what they determined would be their bedroom. They drew the shutters shut so the morning sun wouldn’t wake them before they were ready to face the day.

Keith settled further into his boyfriend's chest. Shiro’s breathing had turned even and deep a while before, but Keith remained very awake.

At first, he was on high alert, listening for any sign that his father's troops had somehow discovered the Avatar’s camp. He waited for Fire Nation troops he knew had to be coming to smash through, disrupting his newfound peace.

But it never happened.

Then he remembered that the Avatar was no longer with them, having had decided to  relocate to live peacefully with the Southern Water tribe.

The image of Allura’s triumphant expression when she finally completed her mission and saved the world was one Keith wouldn't soon forget.

Then he remembered the others -- Lance, the only nonbender among them, who moved with Allura to the Southern Water tribe. He wondered how they were getting on.

Then Hunk, who taught Allura earthbending and who returned to his own countryside when the war ended. He wondered if he ever opened the dumpling shop he had always talked about.

And there was Pidge who taught the Avatar airbending on the sole condition she helped her find her family and who did find her brother, healthy and well. She had decided to return to the Fire Nation to aid in the rebuilding and rebranding of the country.

Finally, there was Shiro, who laid contently beside him, completely unaware of Keith's gaze on him.

Shiro, the waterbender from the North, who witnessed the destruction of his capital city and of his family and whose arm was severed by a member of Keith's family.

Shiro, who was a gentle and patient teacher but was ruthless and unforgiving in battle.

Shiro, who somehow found it in his heart to forgive Keith of his sins and allow him refuge in their camp, when not even Allura was willing.

Shiro, whom he loved dearly.

With only the thoughts of his lover in his head and his heart finally at peace, Keith closed his eyes and slept soundly for the first time since he was a small child in the arms of his beloved mother.

And for once -- for the first time in a long time -- the only thing that could be heard were the soft sounds of their home settling around them.

 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr](misstchotchke.tumblr.com)


End file.
